Sirloin Steak with a Mushroom Sauce.

For preference we use Hereford or Dexter sirloins.

  • Serves 2
  • 2 or 3 pieces of dried porcini, slaked in a couple of tablespoons of hot water, then finely chopped, retain the soaking water.
  • 2 sirloin steaks seasoned with black pepper
  • butter and/or oil
  • 1 shallot thinly sliced
  • ½ clove of garlic crushed
  • Large handful of small chestnut mushrooms (crimini)
  • Noilly Prat
  • Cream
  1. If your steak has a rim of fat (for best flavour it should do):
    take a frying pan that's just large enough to hold the steaks side by side and heat it. Holding the steak vertically by the meat press the fat rim onto the hot pan until nicely browned. Be careful, it can spit and you can brush your knuckles on the pan, the first is bearable the second not so much so.
  2. This will leave a smoking residue of fat that has run from the steak, in the pan, use this to fry the steaks until both sides are browned. The steak needs to be rare at this stage. Remove from the pan, cut into strips and keep to one side.
  3. Add a little butter and/or oil to moisten the pan and sautée the shallot 'til it takes a little colour, then add the garlic and sautée gently until transparent.
  4. Add a little more butter and/or oil and sautée the mushrooms 'til they take on a little colour.
  5. Add the chopped porcini and stir.
  6. If you like your steak well done, add them to the pan and stir.
  7. Deglaze and flambée with the Noilly Prat then carefully add the porcini water, you don't want any grit that may have accumulated in the bottom of the dish. If you don't have Noilly Prat use a medium white wine and a dash of medium sherry.
  8. If you like your steak cooked medium, add to the pan and stir.
  9. Season to taste.
  10. Pour in enough cream to make sufficient sauce and bubble up.
  11. If you like your steak rare add to the pan and stir.
  12. Serve with baby potatoes steamed in butter and steamed purple sprouting broccoli.

To steam baby potatoes in butter; cover the bottom of a saucepan with washed but unpeeled baby potatoes, add a large knob of butter and season well with black pepper, cover with a lid and cook on very low, shaking occasionally or turning the potatoes with a fork, until cooked through and nicely browned.